We both want the same things for our students: for them to apply their skills to the real world. However, being able to transfer math skills is a struggle for a lot of students. Students might be able to memorize geometry angle names or find angles when prompted, but they can’t apply their skills on a test or in the real world. By integrating art into your math lessons, you enhance students' geometry skills and help them apply their knowledge across various contexts and situations (in and outside of the classroom).

Why You Should Use Art in Your Geometry Lessons

As a math teacher, art may not be your first thought when planning a lesson on measuring angles of triangles or types of angles, but perhaps it should be! Here are a few reasons to bring art and math together:

#1 Increase Knowledge Retention

Math is a difficult subject for a lot of students, so bringing art to the table can actually help with skill retention. Art produces an avenue for students to actively learn and engage with mathematical concepts, like angle names and finding angles.

Just like in a traditional math lesson, using art will require that students learn to identify, create, and even measure angles. It’s the how that changes! Instead of simply applying knowledge on a worksheet, students will tap into their creativity and apply their geometry knowledge to a drawing or image. This approach makes the lesson more enjoyable for students and increases engagement (especially for struggling math students).

#2 Real-World Connections

Part of students being able to apply their knowledge of finding angles and measuring angles of a triangle is making connections to the real world. If students simply stick to worksheets or pen and paper, that’s where their knowledge will stay!

By teaching art and geometry together, you can apply skills to images of nature, architecture, and more. You look for shapes in an image of a building or measure the angle of a roof in a painting. During a lesson, you can show students images from artists and have them apply their knowledge of geometry to it.

#3 Building Conceptual Understanding

It’s one thing to tell students that geometry is a part of bigger mathematical concepts like architecture, and it’s another thing to allow students to interact with and discover it on their own. 

For example, when students study the world of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, they can see how he uses lines and angles in his architecture. They can then transfer this knowledge to what they know about geometry, like angle names and measuring angles. You can also discuss with students and have them draw the connections between what Wright designed and the geometry concepts he used.

Training on Bringing Geometry and Art Together 

Want to learn more about art integration into your geometry class? In this PopPD Geometric Angles and Architecture training, I’ll teach you the tools you need to equip students to make art using angles and have the skills to talk about any work of art from the lens of geometry.

Inside the training, I’ll also dive into the importance of creating authentic, real-world math lessons and how to prepare for bringing artwork into your classroom.

I’m Amanda, and I align standards and integrate content to help teachers meet the needs of the Whole Child in art class! I have yet to find a standard that I couldn’t teach through art, and I want to share it all with you.

Not sure where to start with bringing art and content together? This freebie guide is packed with 25 ideas to align your art lessons with math and ELA standards. Your students will be crafting art and practicing algebraic thinking. Win-win!

I want all students to feel successful in the art room, so I created a standards-based Daffodil Collage lesson to do just that! The lesson includes an artist study, student reflection, and more, so push your artists to their full potential.

Follow along on my Instagram page for more tips on teaching the Whole Child in the art room!

Connecting art and content together doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. I’ve made it simple with 25 math and ELA art lesson starters - for free! Plus, I included 15 worksheets for students to reflect on their art-making journey.